Abstract: Examples of systems and methods for bridging virtual and physical spaces are described. In some of these examples, a particular communicant's real world state drives changes in one or more of the communications connections, virtual state, and communications interface of the particular communicant or another communicant.

Abstract: A virtual area has a spatial visualization and includes zones that are associated with respective geometric boundaries located in relation to the spatial visualization. Realtime data stream connections between sources and sinks of network nodes in the zones of the virtual area are administered to provide a wide variety of virtual area applications, including virtual area applications that implement spatial rules for one or more synchronous conferencing services (e.g., instant messaging, such as text chat, audio conferencing, video conferencing, application sharing, and file sharing).

Abstract: The invention pertains to the use of porous, chemically interconnected, isotropic carbon-nanofibre-comprising carbon networks for electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI). The invention also relates to a A composite assembly comprising a thermoplastic, elastomeric and/or thermoset polymer matrix and at least 15 wt%, preferably at least 20 wt%, more preferably 20 - 80 wt% of porous, chemically interconnected, crystalline carbon-nanofibres comprising carbon networks based on the total assembly weight.

Abstract: A network communications environment has advanced interaction management functionality that enables the opportunities for users to interact with one another to be expanded beyond the opportunities that exist with closed interaction management approaches while still providing reasonable privacy and security protections that are not available with open interaction management approaches. The advanced interaction management functionality also encourages the proliferation of trust-based interactions.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to promoter sequences and promoter control elements, polynucleotide constructs comprising the promoters and control elements, and methods of identifying the promoters, control elements, or fragments thereof. The invention further relates to the use of the present promoters or promoter control elements to modulate transcript levels.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided for improving live video quality. The method comprises: (a) acquiring, using a medical imaging apparatus, a stream of consecutive image frames of a subject; (b) feeding the stream of consecutive image frames to a first set of denoising components, wherein each of the first set of denoising components is configured to denoise an image frame from the stream of consecutive image frames in a spatial domain to output an intermediate image frame; (c) feeding a plurality of the intermediate image frames to a second denoising component, wherein the second denoising component is configured to (i) denoise the plurality of the intermediate image frames in a temporal domain and (ii) generate a weight map; and outputting a final image frame with improved quality in both temporal domain and spatial domain based at least in part on the weight map.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a machine learning-based dialogue authoring environment. In examples, a developer or creator of a virtual environment may use a generative multimodal machine learning (ML) model to create or otherwise update aspects of a dialogue tree for one or more computer-controlled agents and/or players of the virtual environment. For example, the developer may provide an indication of context associated with the dialogue for use by the ML model, such that the ML model may generate a set of candidate interactions accordingly. The developer may select a subset of the candidate interactions for inclusion in the dialogue tree, which may then be used to generate associated nodes within the tree accordingly. Thus, nodes in the dialogue tree may be iteratively defined based on model output of the ML model, thereby assisting the developer with dialogue authoring for the virtual environment.

Abstract: In examples, a developer may define a set of computer-controlled agent attributes, which may be processed by a generative multimodal machine learning model in conjunction with background information associated with a virtual environment (e.g., “lore”) and other agent information to generate multimodal model output with which to control the behavior of the computer-controlled agent. Thus, a player may interact with the computer-controlled agent, such that user input from the player is processed using the ML model to generate model output to affect the behavior of the computer-controlled agent, thereby enabling the user and the computer-controlled agent to interact. As compared to manual dialogue authoring, use of agent information to define the behavior of a computer-controlled agent may result in reduced effort on the part of a creator while also offering increased depth and variety for computer-controlled agents of a virtual environment.

Abstract: A measurement chamber that is essentially dome shaped and has a base area with a membrane and has at least two connection points fora fluid flow. The measurement chamber has two outer webs opposite each other, one of the webs engaging a clamping edge of a coupling element.

Abstract: Methods and materials for modulating low-nitrogen tolerance levels in plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding low nitrogen tolerance-modulating polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Also disclosed are plants having increased low-nitrogen tolerance levels and plant products produced from plants having increased low-nitrogen tolerance levels.

Abstract: Methods and materials for modulating low-nitrogen tolerance levels in plants are disclosed. For example, nucleic acids encoding low nitrogen tolerance-modulating polypeptides are disclosed as well as methods for using such nucleic acids to transform plant cells. Also disclosed are plants having increased low-nitrogen tolerance levels and plant products produced from plants having increased low-nitrogen tolerance levels.

Abstract: A livestock water fountain comprises a first water chamber, a water inlet near the bottom of the first water chamber, and a thermostat in the first water chamber position above the inlet adjacent a preset low-water level in the chamber so as to measure the temperature of the water near the surface of the water. The fountain maybe divided into dual chambers with a wall having a lower passageway for fluid communication which can be plugged to limit water to one of the chambers when water consumption decreases in cold weather.

Abstract: A control system is provided for a diesel particulate filter (DPF) system of a diesel engine configured for operation in an off-highway vehicle. The control system includes a controller configured to receive a signal corresponding to a fill state of the DPF being at or above a first threshold. The controller is configured to selectively induce a parasitic load on the diesel engine to increase an operating temperature of the engine in response to receiving the signal.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a slag composition having a high lithium content, suitable as additive in the manufacture of end-user products, or for the economic recovery of the contained lithium. The lithium concentration indeed compares favorably with that of spodumene, the classic mineral mined for lithium production. This slag is characterized by a composition according to: 3%<Li2O<20%; 1%<MnO<7%; 38%<Al2O3<65%; CaO<55%; and, SiO2<45%.

Abstract: This description relates to insight into the asthma management habits of a patient or a plurality of patients. The provided information includes records of rescue medication usage events, records of controller medication events, and overall evaluations of a patients disease management. Users of the application may include both patients who may use the information to monitor their own habits or providers who may use the information to monitor patients or improve a patient's existing medication regimen.

Abstract: Switching real-time data stream connections between network nodes sharing a virtual area is described. In one aspect, the switching involves storing a virtual area specification. The virtual area specification includes a description of one or more switching rules each defining a respective connection between sources of a respective real-time data stream type and sinks of the real-time data stream type in terms of positions in the virtual area. Real-time data stream connections are established between network nodes associated with respective objects each of which is associated with at least on of a source and a sink of one or more of the real-time data stream types. The real-time data stream connections are established based on the one or more switching rules, the respective sources and sinks associated with the objects, and respective positions of the objects in the virtual area.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring accurate, real-time medicament device events, performing analytics on that data, and providing notifications are described. In various embodiments, an application server receives controller medication events, analyzes the events, associated event times, and controller medication dosage plans to characterize event times and send notifications for future doses. The controller medication dosage plan may specify a dose time for a planned dose, a narrow time window comprising the dose time, and an expanded time window comprising the narrow time window and longer in duration than the narrow time window, and the events may be characterized based on their time relative to the dose time, the time windows, and other events.

Abstract: A livestock water fountain comprises a first water chamber, a water inlet near the bottom of the first water chamber, and a thermostat in the first water chamber position above the inlet adjacent a preset low-water level in the chamber so as to measure the temperature of the water near the surface of the water. The fountain maybe divided into dual chambers with a wall having a lower passageway for fluid communication which can be plugged to limit water to one of the chambers when water consumption decreases in cold weather.

Abstract: A virtual area has a spatial visualization and includes zones that are associated with respective geometric boundaries located in relation to the spatial visualization. Realtime data stream connections between sources and sinks of network nodes in the zones of the virtual area are administered to provide a wide variety of virtual area applications, including virtual area applications that implement spatial rules for one or more synchronous conferencing services (e.g., instant messaging, such as text chat, audio conferencing, video conferencing, application sharing, and file sharing).

Abstract: The invention relates to a magnetocaloric lattice element formed by fibres of magnetocaloric material, wherein the fibres are arranged in respective parallel lattice planes, each fibre having a respective mass of magnetocaloric material, the fibres of a given lattice plane do not contact each other but each fibre of a given lattice plane is attached to at least two fibres in a next neighbouring lattice plane, and wherein the magnetocaloric lattice element exhibits exactly one predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension. When arranged in alignment of its predominant mass-weighted direction of longitudinal fibre extension with an external magnetic field, the magnetocaloric lattice element achieves an advantageous, particularly high magnetization of the magnetocaloric material, and as a consequence improves the performance of the magnetocaloric cooling device.